1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a current collector according to the preamble of the first claim.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A known current collector of this type (EP 0 785 100 Al) is provided in the roof area of a rail vehicle whose car body can be inclined about the longitudinal axis. Provided on the roof of the car body, which serves as a base carrier for the current collector, are supports which are bent inwardly toward one another from the longitudinal sides, end at a distance from one another and are each provided in their end regions with two oscillating bearings whose axes run parallel to the longitudinal axis of the car body. In each case an oscillating element is pivotably mounted on the oscillating bearings and an intermediate carrier is pivotably secured to its downward-directed end in further oscillating bearings. The four oscillating bearings which are provided on the supports are each located here, like the four oscillating bearings assigned to the intermediate carrier, in one plane, the distance between two upper oscillating bearings arranged transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction of the car body being smaller than the distance between the associated, lower oscillating bearings. In each case four oscillating bearings arranged in a perpendicular plane are arranged at the end points of a trapezoidal four-bar mechanism. The intermediate carrier which is arranged in this way so that it can oscillate transversely to the longitudinal direction of the car body is embodied as a trapezoidal lattice frame which has a connecting strut which is transversal with respect to the longitudinal direction of the car body and at whose end points the lower oscillating bearings are arranged, while a connecting strut which is arranged above it and runs parallel thereto is located, when the car body and intermediate carrier are in the position of rest, at a short distance underneath the plane in which the upper oscillating bearings are located. On the upper transverse struts there are supporting insulators which hold, in an electrically insulated fashion, a base frame on which a current collector frame of a scissor-type current collector is secured in a vertically adjustable fashion. In order to keep the contact bar of the current collector frame at least largely independent of the inclination of the car body within a clearance profile predefined by a delimitation line, the base frame is pivoted counter to the inclination of the car body by an actuator which is controlled as a function of the inclination of the car body.
The invention is based on the object of implementing measures, in a current collector according to the preamble of the first claim, by means of which overall height is gained with a simple design.
This object is achieved in accordance with the invention by means of the characterizing features of the first claim.
In one embodiment of a current collector according to the invention, the embodiment of the intermediate carrier as an intrinsically rigid, thin plate provides a platform which is located in the region of the plane in which the lower oscillating bearings are located. The space located between the upper and lower oscillating bearings is thus free for the means required for the attachment of the current collector frame. Supporting insulators, to whose upwardly directed ends a base frame which bears the current collector frame can be fixed, can be fixed directly to the plate. If the plate is formed from an electrically insulating material, in particular formed from composite fiber materials so as to be intrinsically stiff, the base frame of the current collector frame can also be fixed directly to this plate, which ensures the electrical insulation with respect to adjacent components. Here too, the oscillating elements may be manufactured from an electrically insulating material in order to make the necessary electrical insulation distances and creepage current paths sufficiently large. In addition, the length of the oscillating elements may only be of such a magnitude that the distances from the roof of the car body which are required during operation are maintained and the upper oscillating bearings still lie within a delimitation line of the car body on the vehicle, which line is predefined according to the relevant regulations.
An independent carrier element may be used as the base carrier for the current collector and can be fixed to the roof of the associated car body. However, the base carrier is preferably embodied as part of the roof structure of the respective car body, on which base carrier four upwardly directed, in particular vertical supports are attached to the feet ends of the supports at the corner points of an imaginary rectangle. The upwardly pointing free ends of these supports are, on the other hand, provided with the upper oscillating bearings. In each case two supports are located here on a line running perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the car body, in front of the intermediate carrier, while the two other supports are arranged in a symmetrical arrangement with respect to the longitudinal axis of the car body behind the intermediate carrier in the direction of travel. As a result, the intermediate carrier can oscillate transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction of the car body between the pairs of supports and can be pivoted in each case counter to the inclination of the car body by means of an actuator device controlled as a function of the inclination of the car body. In order to ensure electrical safety at the current collector, it is expedient to provide, on the base frame of the current collector frame, an overvoltage diverter which is electrically connected between the base frame and the electrically conductive parts of the car body and ensures electrical protection of the car body region against overvoltages in the case of an inadmissible overvoltage at the current collector.